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Chaplaincy Offers Inspiring Alternatives in Ministryby Francesca McCrossan Serving as an ordained chaplain is a rapidly growing vocational direction that offers rewarding opportunities for ministry beyond the local church. Increasingly, clergypersons are working as pastors and counselors in settings outside traditional church walls— in hospitals, hospices, the military, airports, and in large corporations. The advantages of chaplaincy ministry are many. Some who feel called to serve God do not always see themselves suited to the particular challenges of parish ministries. Swedenborgian ministers equipped with an accredited Master of Divinity degree are discovering that many organizations need clergy trained to provide quality pastoral presence to people in various situations of stress. Chaplaincy ministry for a Swedenborgian clergyperson offers a career path that does not rely on denominational funding or constant outreach to find people to whom to minister. Chaplaincy ministry comes with a salary and with a caseload of people to serve. This career direction appeals to those who may feel called to serve God as a Swedenborgian, but who have not felt traditional parish ministry to be the place where their talent could best be used. You can enter seminary at the Swedenborgian House of Studies at Pacific School of Religion with the goal of becoming an ordained chaplain qualified to serve in settings such as hospitals, hospices, prisons, the military, or the corporate world. While studying you can prepare for chaplaincy while becoming grounded in the areas of competency basic to all forms of ministry—biblical studies, theology and ethics, for example. Swedenborgian seminarians who wish to pursue chaplaincy ministry design a course of study to include field education (a nine-month experience) in a setting other than a parish church, choose an accredited CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) program to begin their training and fulfill one of their ordination requirements, and weight their coursework towards pastoral care and counseling. Swedenborgian Ministers Who Are Doing It Now“Walk Beside Them—Not In Front Or Behind”
Jane has created a formula that could work well for many Swedenborgians serving a small parish: doing both part time. “I like the synergy with chaplaincy and parish ministry. I use illustrations from chaplaincy in my sermons and I use my parish experience to offer pastoral care in the hospital. For me it is a good balance—a both/and rather than an either/or.” Reflecting on her Swedenborgian identity and orientation as a hospital chaplain, she says, “”Swedenborgian theology is a perfect fit for this ministry. I know that I have only a perception of ultimate truth, and I try to be a ready learner to expand and enhance the truth as I know it. I do not judge another’s truth claims. My goal is to listen, to reflect with them, to offer compassion and to assist them during their time in the hospital. Swedenborgian theology is one of inclusion. We are Christian, and we accept that the Lord has made provision for a variety of paths to God.” This fits nicely with the goal of chaplaincy in its widest sense. Jane continues, “As chaplains we are trained to meet people where they are on their spiritual journey. We are to serve them in a nonjudgmental and non-confrontational manner. We walk beside them—not in front or behind—as a nonanxious presence.” “The Perfect Ministry for Swedenborgians”
Kathy feels that Swedenborgians are well suited for hospice chaplaincy because of their focus on a connection between the world we see and world we don’t see. “Swedenborgianism also offers such a healing and positive approach to Christianity. Its theological orientation can be very helpful to people who have been Christians all their lives and now, nearing their death, are facing fears of a hell where they must eternally pay for their sins. Sharing with them Swedenborg’s’ eternal cycle of regeneration as the truth, rather than death as a judgment event gives them an opportunity for comfort and peace.” Kathy was drawn to chaplaincy because of a sense that spirituality was emerging from the traditional structure of “church” into other parts of life. She notes, “Lots of people are spiritual, not religious (‘I don’t want to see a chaplain; I’m culturally Jewish’).” The work of a chaplain with people in hospice in particular regularly reflects this. Kathy notes, “Really what Swedenborg was talking about is how we take spirituality beyond church walls.” That allows her to cross many lines of traditions and beliefs and take a conversation about death and dying, or the basic elements of a lived life, to the next level. She continues, “Swedenborg’s faith that we all continue to move closer to God for all eternity is very comforting to them. The dying are not in need of an intellectual [understanding] of the Bible.” As a hospice chaplain, Kathy is more focused on pastoral uses of the Bible; repeating the 23rd Psalm and the comforting words from Romans. And through this work, she continues her own personal journey because she can see, sometimes quite literally, the reality of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. “Part of the Grand Man”
Andy sees military chaplaincy as an almost perfect path because Swedenborgians truly understand the value and importance of ecumenical and interfaith ministry. “It is dear and core to our hearts to nurture the church inside everyone no matter their faith.” Andy’s daily ministry included about 500 people in the building where he worked. He tried to see them everyday to at least say hello and be available. “Someone would always talk with you and need prayer.” The intense nature of human experience in wartime brings with it an ongoing and incredible need for pastoral care in the military. “There is measureless human pain in the military right now; deployments, post traumatic stress disorder, loss, grief—it’s all there.” He noted another important reason for having a Swedenborgian presence in the military, “Liberal theological traditions have all but abandoned the military chaplaincy and…their voice is so needed.” Andy found the experience of being a liberal in uniform very powerful. He felt solidly positioned to work with soldiers because they could see that he was not working from a moralist and judgmental position. He socialized with his military flock in the way some other chaplains were not able to. “You can get gritty the way Jesus got gritty and participate where they are. Our faith tradition bridges a huge gap; it’s theologically sound but human as well.” This theological soundness underpinned a strong satisfaction in his interactions with other chaplains and also resonated with his superiors who came to respect both him and the tradition. Of course, the military’s structure and culture won’t appeal to everyone and does require joining either the reserves or the active duty forces. But it is important to note that military chaplains do not carry a weapon. “If you really want to challenge and experience what it is to be a part of the Grand Man, the entire mosaic of faith traditions in the US and globally, there is no greater place to do that than the military chaplaincy.” “An Environment That Challenges Your World View.” Rev. Susan Turley is a CPE Supervisor, at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, in Palo Alto, California. Sue found herself drawn to chaplaincy in part by a process of elimination. Her current career, as a CPE supervisor, marries three of her strongest loves—counseling, ministry and education. As a seminary student, she loved the CPE process. At the time, she was even encouraged to train as a supervisor, but she wanted more life experience before she began that work. “CPE and chaplaincy require first and foremost a deep pastoral heart … tenacity and toughness, and a love for the work.” Eventually, she realized that the work of a CPE supervisor was the logical conclusion to, and confluence of, her loves of ministry, education and counseling. CPE supervisors are both educator and chaplain, responsible for oversight of CPE interns and residents who train in their programs. Sue likes working with CPE students and focusing on their inner life and growth, a strong focus of a supervisor’s work. She wanted to move out of the isolation that a parish minister can sometimes feel, and engage in an interfaith and collegial environment. As a CPE supervisor she could become part of a larger ecumenical team, working with colleagues to learn from and be accountable with. Her work at the Palo Alto VA hospital brings her all those opportunities and challenges. Sue explains, “Patients come here for life, and their families come with them. The staff here is highly educated and committed, loyal, dedicated, collaborative. The work done here is cutting edge—research and treatment—because of the severity and variety of the injuries we must treat. And soldiers are taught to use chaplains from the moment they enter the service, so we’re very integrated into the life of the soldiers and their families.” Since Swedenborgianism teaches respect for an interfaith world and the human journey within it, the teachings work very well in military culture. And the theology is used in the service of others without talking doctrine. As a Swedenborgian chaplain, Sue listens, respects their point of view, and ministers to them from their own world. “Swedenborgianism renders itself to that very easily. It brings a certain perspective on life, death, regeneration, transition, and the dying process. It’s a very grounding ministry [set] into a doctrinal framework that teaches how to be present for another person in their own theology—it’s non-judgmental, compassionate and without struggle. Swedenborg asks us to step into another world and allow it to have an impact on your life that is life altering. Isolation reduces a person’s ability to really absorb the suffering of another. Humans all live in a certain amount of isolation because they are human. Chaplaincy requires a commitment to be intimately involved with the human experience every day.” One Student’s Journey: “So Different From Seminary Teaching Model”
After graduation and ordination, Sage decided to enter the hospital’s CPE Residency program, which included earning a Certificate in Integrative Medicine along with four units of CPE credit. As is typical, it was a year-long, full-time program that included a stipend. Along with their workday routine, residents were on an on-call rotation. A typical week was structured to include work on the hospital floors interacting with both patients and staff, meeting time with the entire group of residents and their supervisor, reflective writing sessions and other structured learning opportunities. As a Swedenborgian, Sage felt well suited to the cultural edict to learn to effectively minister in an interfaith setting. “Being Swedenborgian and always being conscious of interfaith realties helped me function. Theologically there is a fit between focus on regeneration and life process and how God interacts and unfolds. You are hearing people’s life stories and this really fits in with the goal of the church to help them feel loved and move toward God’s love.” As a resident, Sage realized how much learning happened over time, and that a summer internship could be too short to truly understand how the process unfolds. In the summer intensive setting, Sage noted, “The group process sometimes feels like you are constantly being challenged. It can be overwhelming.” In the longer process of the residency, however, Sage learned to be challenged and yet stay true to her own calling and connection to God. The CPE learning process is, “…so different from the seminary teaching model…it’s a growth model and the goal is to learn about yourself. We are all wounded healers, and we struggle to be conscious and present…with others who are wounded.” Taking the First Step Our hope in sharing these visions of ministry is two-fold. We want people in the church to know about the numerous ways our Swedenborgian ministers can serve in the world and second, we want to reach out to those who have wondered about a call to ministry for themselves, but who have not felt called to congregational minis- try. The Pacific School of Religion hosts a weekend every semester for people to come to the campus and have a chance to examine the seminary program and consider the path of ministry from many angles. This is a time to get better acquainted with the Swedenborgian program as well. The Swedenborgian House of Studies assists prospective students in attending these Ministry as Vocation (MAV) weekends. Pacific School of Religion is the only seminary in the country that incorporates Swedenborgian coursework fully into its accredited degree programs. Please feel free to visit our website, www.shs.psr.edu, give us a call at 510.849.8228 or come visit us. We’re always delighted to discuss our program and talk about the many opportunities it provides to explore a fulfilling career in the ministry. Francesca M. McCrossan is Academic Affairs Associate and Office Manager for the Swedenborgian House of Studies. |
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Rev. Jane Siebert, of Pretty Prairie, Kansas is a part-time chaplain at Wesley Medical Center, a 700 bed level 1 trauma center in Wichita. Jane recalls, “My call was to ministry. For ordination I was required to take one unit of CPE. During this first unit I found a personal affinity for chaplaincy. I’m a pharmacist, and the connection with my medical background and hospital chaplaincy was a natural for me.”
Rev. Kathy Speas followed a chaplaincy path after graduating in SHS’s first class. She chose hospice chaplaincy at Hospice by the Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Rev. Andy Stinson had been in the U.S. Army for 10 years before he discerned his call to chaplaincy. In a recent discussion he noted, “If you want to work with folk in crisis…there is no greater place than in military chaplaincy. It can be hard physical work with men and women from a largely blue-collar background.” He continued, “You become intimately part of hundreds of people’s lives, and will do more counseling in a week than others do in a year. There are 223 different faith groups represented in both the ranks and the clergy.”
Rev. Sage Currie enjoyed her CPE unit as a student. She liked the process, especially because it included so many components of the minister’s tool kit—psychology, religion, personal growth and transformation. She did her work at a private hospital in San Francisco that is known for its integrative medicine approach.